Problem+of+the+Week

Beginning the week of October 7, a problem of the week for grades 3 - 5 will be posted on the "Problem of the Week" tab of the Quarter 2 Livebinder. The problem will appear on Friday the week before it is to be used. For example, the POW for the week Octover 7 will be posted on Friday, October 4. Beginning problems will be easier and progress to more complex and rigorous. There will be a problem each for grades 3 - 5, but teachers can use any of the three no matter their grade level. Problems are on the Livebinder, but answers are found here.

Remember the following suggestions when trying to help students as a class to approach problems and develop strategies for solving them. These may be introduced over a series of days, within one lesson, or a combination of both depending on where your students are. When doing over a series of days, spend no more than 5 - 10 minutes a day.

Sample Problem: __"Laura has $375. She puts $125 in savings and buys an iPod for $218. Her mother gave her an amount equal to what she had left.__ __How much did her mother give her?"__


 * 1) Give students the the "meat" of the problem without the question and discuss the context. e.g.: leave off the "How much did her mother give her?" This focuses them on the context.
 * 2) Discuss and list what is known about the problem. Ask, "What do we know about Laura? What did she spend her money on? Did she give money away or get money?" List all the information that is provided and then help students deduce what may be implied.
 * 3) Have students predict what the question might be? Hint, you may have to provide some prompts in the beginning.
 * 4) Give the students the question. Discuss what operations might be needed to solve. Might focus students on one particular strategy or representation. (Concrete, pictorial, abstract)
 * 5) Allow students to solve and explain. Share and discuss.

2 pieces 9 feet long 1 piece 18 feet long would not have a cut so would not count. ||=  ||= Peeta = 150 meters Gale = 250 meters ||=  ||= 4 students don't like turkey or ham || Students should use provided letters to correctly label figures. All points in the figure may not be labeled the same by all students. ||  || Version 1: 54 ozs
 * ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS**
 * = ==** Week **== ||  || ==** Grade 3 **== ||   || ==** Grade 4 **== ||   || ==** Grade 5 **== ||
 * = October 7  ||   ||  514  ||   ||  1,547  ||   ||  6,852  ||
 * = October 14  ||   ||  Large: 50 Small: 25  ||   ||  13, 13, 11  ||   ||  36  ||
 * = October 21  ||   ||  185 pages  ||   ||  504 crackers  ||   ||  9 1/3 teaspoons  ||
 * = October 28  ||   ||  1,056  ||   ||  $5,214  ||   ||  3/8 mile  ||
 * = November 1  ||   ||  399 pencils  ||   ||  9 years  ||   ||  ¾ and ½  ||
 * = November 12 ||=  ||= 3,7 ||=   ||= 5732 ||=   ||= 1/3 and 4/6 ||
 * = November 18 ||=  ||= 3 pieces 6 feet long
 * = December 2 ||  || Least possible is 60. ||   || [[image:Trapezoid.POW.rectangle.JPG]]

Version 2: Students should draw a model and provide and explanation that is based on the idea that the glasses each drank out of were different sizes or contained different amounts of tea. So, while Joe may have only drank 1/3 of a glass, he could still drink more if the the size of his "whole" glass was more than the Tonya's or Amy's. || only in terms of a flat array. IN that case, they are 1 x 256 2 x 128 4 x 64 8 x 32 16 x 16 If students decide to think in terms of multiple layers, make sure arrangments make a full box. ||  || 190 handshakes ||
 * December 9 ||  || 24,4 ||   || Students will probabely think
 * December 16 ||  || 48 pieces ||   || 2,880 calories ||   || She gave her friend 24 Minis ||